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Bad Boy of ‘Jeopardy,’ Arthur Chu, Refuses to Apologize — Should He?

By

Jeff Yang

Feb 6, 2014 3:33 pm ET

He’s been pilloried by some fans; lauded by others. The media is fascinated with his unorthodox demeanor, his aggressive way of play and the candid words he’s been known to unleash on the unsuspecting, both on Twitter and TV. He’s says he’s all about the win, and wants his rivals to know that he’ll do whatever’s necessary to wear the crown — even if it sends purists to their fainting couches.

That’s led more than a few commentators to dub him, well, a thug.

It’s a title he wears with pride. “When they say I’m rude, that I have no respect for my opponents, that I’m insulting, I bristle at that. It’s a cliché. Playing as hard as you can is not disrespect, it’s giving credit to your opponents’ skills. Going easy and being nice to them — that’s patronizing. I wouldn’t want anyone to do that to me.”

From just that quote and brief description, you might think I was talking about Richard Sherman, the Seahawks cornerback whose brief, passionate post-NFC Championships interview with Erin Andrews went viral and put him squarely in the sports media spotlight.